New suspected FMD case reported in North Chungcheong
Cows at a "hanwoo” or premium Korean beef cattle farm are vaccinated Wednesday. Yonhap
Another suspected case of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) was found in North Chungcheong Province, the government said Thursday, fueling concerns over the spread of the highly contagious animal disease.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said a "hanwoo" beef cattle farm in Chungju, 147 kilometers from Seoul, reported a possible case of FMD to authorities. Hanwoo is a kind of premium Korean beef.
If confirmed, it would be the third farm to be infected with FMD this year.
The farm has 11 hanwoo beef cattle, with one showing symptoms of FMD, including drooling.
Authorities are carrying out a detailed examination, with test results due later in the day.
Earlier this week, the ministry confirmed two cases of FMD in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, about 80 kilometers south of Seoul.
An FMD case was first verified at a dairy cow farm in Anseong on Monday, with another case reported a day later at a hanwoo beef cattle farm. The two farms are 10 kilometers apart.
On Wednesday, the ministry said the two cases appear to be related and that the disease was probably spread by vehicles. Both were type O strain. (Yonhap)